Rock Me Ama-Dia-Us
by LordByronMudkippington
Summary: Dia finds herself annoyingly fascinated by the punkish Mari. There might be something mutual going on there, though. Kanan is no help whatsoever. (A birthday present for Diayase, who is a very awesome artist!)


It was hard not to notice Ohara Mari on campus. She stood out like a sore thumb with her bright blonde hair and the pentagram hanging around her neck. No one else looked so apologetically edgy, which was Dia's best guess as to why she was so curious about her. It certainly couldn't have been because she was attracted to her, because there was no way in Hell that was the case. She wasn't interested in the weird loop in her hair, or the studs in her nose. The band name - or at least what she assumed was a band name - on her t-shirt was absolutely illegible. She just kept seeing her on campus, that's all. Why would she be interested in someone like that?

"Maybe you're attracted to bad girls?" Like usual, Kanan was no help at all. Dia frowned and crossed her arms, giving Kanan the stare. It was the classic Kurosawa look that let someone know that they had messed up. Kanan had seen it enough times that it didn't even phase her anymore. Sure, she'd been scared of Dia when they were kids - something she was loathe to admit - but they were at university now. She was over Dia's stubbornness. "Don't look at me like that. You have to admit that it's at least a possibility."

"I will admit nothing." It was a thought Dia refused to entertain. She was a good girl. A prim and proper heir to the Kurosawa estate. She wouldn't dare sully her family name by even considering that she wanted to get closer to the strange girl with a skull tattoo on her arm. That was a cliche rebel girl thing to do anyway. If she was going to act like that, she could at least be more original. "You know me, Kanan. I'm not that type of person."

"Well, I know you had a crush on the Hex Girls when we were kids. So maybe that should've tipped you off." Dia felt her face heat up as she glared at Kanan with all her might. Kanan was still unmoved. "Oh yeah, and you were really into that one blonde idol from Tokyo, right? Maybe you're into blondes too. They do say blondes have more fun."

"That is not the kind of fun I'm interested in having!" Why couldn't Kanan understand that she was a hundred percent wrong? Just because she stared at someone didn't mean she liked them. Her stares were of a disgusted nature. She could never see herself being with someone like that. That Mari... She probably spent her free time drinking copious amounts of alcohol and smoking marijuana. Didn't she realize how quickly someone could die from just one marijuana needle? "Why are you even talking about her so much, Kanan?"

"Me? You're the one who was staring at her like she was a piece of idol merchandise." Once again, Kanan had to defend herself from Dia's spurious accusations. This wouldn't be happening if she wasn't so damn obvious about who she was ogling. "Look, you don't have to get yourself in a twist over this. It's not a big deal. Maybe you just like big breasts."

"Wh-What?!" This was even more embarrassing to hear than her having been attracted to cartoon characters at one point, and never ever again she swears. Did Kanan have to be so casual about that?

"You know, breasts." Kanan pointed at her own ample chest. "Boobs, melons, bazongas-"

"I know what breasts are, Kanan!" She hid her rapidly reddening face in her hands. "And please don't call them any of those other things."

"What about honkers?"

"No! Stop talking about breasts!"

"Aww, but I just got here!" The unfamiliar voice made Dia shriek and fall from her seat, landing ungracefully on the ground below. Groaning, she sat back up and looked up into the grinning face of Mari. She now regretted going to this university. "Please, start from the beginning. I'm all ears."

"Well, I was saying that Dia-"

"KANAN, SHUT UP!" A few students glanced over at the shouting, further embarrassing Dia. If she had the chance to look in the mirror, she was sure that she was red to the tips of her ears and down her neck. This was not supposed to be happening. How had their conversation become so public that Mari of all people had sidled up to join in? She wanted to stand up tall and tell Mari to mind her own ruffian business, but for some reason she found herself getting lost in Mari's eyes. This was not happening. She was not falling for someone like Mari. "It's not polite to eavesdrop, you know."

"I know." Smiling, Mari sat down where Dia had been sitting just moments before. So not only did she have no compunction about eavesdropping, she was totally okay with taking others' seats as well. She truly was a ne'er-do-well. "It's just as impolite as staring at someone, right?" Dia couldn't argue with that, but she wasn't going to admit that Mari was directly referencing her. So she folded her arms and looked away. "Are you going to stay down there, cutie, or are you going to come sit on my lap?"

"I beg your pardon?!" Dia shot up like a rocket, giving Mari the famous - or was it infamous? - Kurosawa glare. "I am not sitting on your lap!"

"What about mine?" Kanan chimed in.

"No! Nobody's lap is getting sat on!" She walked around both of them and sat next to Kanan, crossing one leg over the other and glaring at both of them.

"Then why even wake up in the morning?" Mari giggled, already enjoying teasing Dia. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Unless you change your mind." Dia kept glaring at her. "Okay, maybe not. I'm Mari, by the way!" She flashed them both a big smile, her teeth shining white. Kanan smiled back, while Dia just scowled.

"We know. Your reputation proceeds you. I'm Kanan, and the ray of sunshine here is Dia." Her smile turned into a playful smirk as she placed a hand on Dia's shoulder. "She's not always like this. You just caught her at a bad time."

"Was that bad time talking about breasts?"

"Basically, yeah."

"Don't talk about me like I'm not here!" This was completely unacceptable. How did this even happen? If only she hadn't accidentally glanced at Mari for just a moment, or if Kanan hadn't noticed. Then she wouldn't be the butt of their jokes right now. It was embarrassing, and she didn't like it one bit. "And you're wrong on all counts. I am in a fine mood, thank you very much."

"Aww, you're just being grumpy." Kanan giggled at Dia's absolutely offended expression, playfully rubbing her shoulder. "She just needs a hug and she'll be good as new."

"Oh?" Mari stood up from her seat and approached Dia, who tried to scoot back with suddenly-wide eyes.

"No, that's not true at all. I do not need a hug. I'm not grumpy, dammit!" She couldn't really back up without falling off her seat again, leaving her no escape as Mari descended upon her. Mari nearly tackled her off of her seat anyway, wrapping her up in a tight grip with a smile that was strangely cat-like in nature. "Mari!"

"Ooh, you're warm!" Mari smiled and kept hugging Dia, who was seemingly powerless to resist. She didn't like the implication that came with her having not shoved Mari off of her and flat on her back. Mari was pretty warm too, and her hug made Dia feel strange. She could smell a hint of lemon in her hair, which looked surprisingly well taken care of from up close. Even being this close, though, she couldn't read what was on her shirt. "You sure like staring at my breasts, don't you?"

"I was not!" She was sure that her face would be permanently red with the way things were going. "I was just trying to look at the strange symbol on your shirt. It's completely illegible."

"Oh!" Excitement fluttered in her eyes as Mari jumped back and grabbed the hem of her shirt, pulling it forward to proudly it off. "It's Cattle Decapitation!" Both Dia and Kanan stared at her.

"Excuse me?" "Say what?"

"Cattle Decapitation!" Mari said it again, letting her shirt flutter down. "They're from America! I'll play you some of their music!" Before either of them could protest, Mari sat herself down on both of their laps, straddling their legs as she pulled out her phone. "Here we go!" She pushed her finger against her phone, bringing up an album track list. Dia looked down at the phone, noting that all the titles were in English. The one that Mari hit said 'Your Disposal', and then some of the foulest-sounding noise came out of her speakers, sending both Dia and Kanan reeling back.

It sounded like total distortion, combined with someone kicking a drum repeatedly. The vocals - or what Dia could only assume were vocals - may have been in English, but there was no way to tell. She wanted to cover her ears, but she also didn't want to seem rude. Looking over at Kanan, she could tell that she felt the same way. On the other hand, Mari was having a blast, smiling from ear to ear and tapping her feet on the ground with rapid-fire movements.

When the song finally ended, she turned towards the two of them with wide, bright eyes, smiling all the while. "That was great, right? Oh, you're speechless!" Well, that wasn't wrong. "You should both come check out my band! We're gonna practice this evening in the music hall!" Dia wasn't surprised a ruffian like Mari would be in a band that played such horrendous sounds. She certainly didn't want to spend an evening listening to that headache-inducing noise, even if for some reason she felt a strange curiosity to watch Mari outside of normal school confines. Before she could say she had other plans, Kanan ended up answering for her.

"Ahh, I can't. I've got a lot of work to do today. But I know Dia is free, and she'd love to come watch your band." Mari had started to pout when Kanan declined, but lit up again when Dia agreed to go against her will. For her part, Dia glared at Kanan, who just smiled serenely. Why was she like this? Kanan was so going to get a stern talking to that night.

"Great!" She spoke in English, surprising Dia with another hug before jumping back on her feet and bounding away. "Music hall, room six, 18:30! See ya later, Dia!" Dia was left with no idea what to feel. Mari was so weird and uncouth, with a casual manner of speaking and no respect for personal boundaries. She was also very warm, though. Even though she didn't need any hugs and would never want that ever. She was not going to admit that she felt good being in Mari's arms.

"So you're going to text me if you bring her home, right? She seems like she'd be pretty loud."

"Kanan, they will find your body in the river, and they will never connect it to me. I will claim that you didn't come home tonight, and that I haven't seen you since this moment. Not even Ruby will be able to save you from your untimely demise."

"Can I at least shower before my untimely demise?"

"No."

* * *

It wouldn't have been a big deal if she didn't show up to Mari's band practice. She could just say she ended up having work that couldn't be put aside, or that she was feeling under the weather. For whatever reason, she didn't use these excuses. Instead, she found herself walking towards room six in the music hall, something she was sure she didn't want to do. So why was she doing it?

There was something about Mari that repulsed her, freaked her out, and drew her in all at the same time. She'd never spent any time around someone like Mari. Her life had always been being around older people who were very formal. It had made her become that kind of person, which wasn't so bad. Social anxiety had hit her like a ton of bricks during grade school, and Kanan had ended up being the only friend she'd really made. Everyone else seemed more like a classmate or a subordinate. It made things easier. If they were closer to her, she knew that she'd mess it up.

The fact that she was going to check out this band practice at all made her nervous. There was no reason to go to something like that unless she was friends with them, but there was no way she was friends with Mari. They'd barely ever spoken in the history of their dual existence, and none of their conversations could be deemed pleasant. Maybe she was having some sort of reality breakdown, since there was no healthy reason why she was doing this.

Outside of the door to room six, she hesitated, not committing herself to opening the door. It felt weird to just barge in there, even if she had been invited. She didn't want to go. She didn't want anything to do with Mari. That wasn't the kind of person she hung out with. Yet there she was, standing outside the door to where Mari was, feeling like she was intruding. Why was that even a concern? Mari was the one who had intruded into her personal space! Why was even thinking about Mari making her nervous?

She was overthinking this. All she needed to do was go inside, because she was invited, and watch Mari's band practice. Then she could go home and never think about Mari again. That was as good a plan as any. Feeling more confident now, Dia grabbed the door handle and flung the door open, stepping in and then nearly being knocked off her feet by a wall of sound. Maybe she should've brought earplugs.

The walls must've been soundproofed. That would explain why she didn't hear anything until she opened the door. Now she was being 'greeted' by noise that was five times as loud as what had been coming through those phone speakers, but it also wasn't as punishing. It seemed to have more of a noticeable rhythm, or at least Dia thought there was. At least it wasn't as bad as before.

There were three other members of the band besides Mari. A scrawny-looking girl with dark blue hair was holding a microphone in her hand, a girl with red hair was sitting at a large grand piano, and a girl with brownish-gray hair was behind a drum kit. They were all playing or singing, but Dia's attention was immediately captured by Mari. She had a guitar strapped around her, and her fingers were flying across the fret board as she played. It was amazing how she could keep her focus on playing all those chords. There was quite a difference between that and Dia's own musical background: the yamatogoto.

Dia's entrance quickly brought a stop to the music, as all four of them turned to look at her. This made her feel self-conscious all over again, but she forced herself to stand tall. She had every right to be there, and it would be for only one time. Still, she didn't know what to say to break the sudden silence. Luckily - or unluckily: she wasn't sure - Mari broke it for her.

"Dia! You made it!" Putting down her guitar, Mari rushed over and wrapped Dia up in a tight hug. What was more embarrassing than being hugged was the suggestive looks the vocalist and drummer were giving her. She made herself wriggle out of Mari's grasp, crossing her arms and glaring at Mari. "Ooh, scary. You should be the bouncer for our next show!"

"I am not doing that." Dia sighed and let her shoulders slump, softening her gaze slightly. "Well, I'm here. Are you going to keep practicing?"

"No no, not yet! I have to introduce you to the band!" Grabbing Dia's hand, Mari yanked her over to the other musicians, who were still staring at her. She felt way too awkward under their curious stares. "So on vocals we have Yoshiko-"

"Yohane!"

"Right right, Yohane. The three of us sing..." She pointed at herself, Yoshiko/Yohane, and the redhead. "... but she's our main singer. She's got quite the voice!" Cackling, Yohane struck a pose, her voice taking on a deep, huskier tone.

"The voice of a fallen angel such as myself can convert even the most pious into my army of little demons. Shall you be the next to join?" She stuck her hand out towards Dia, who frowned and took a step back. This Yohane was definitely a weird one.

"Uh, no thank you..." Mari then led her over to the piano, where the redhead suddenly looked away shyly. What was this? Dia was supposed to be the one who felt uncomfortable. This girl was taking her mood.

"And this is Riko! Our resident piano player and dog hater."

"I-I don't hate dogs!" She spouted out suddenly, facing the two of them with a blush. "I just... don't feel comfortable around them." She glanced at Dia specifically, able to hold eye contact long enough to give her a shy smile. "It's nice to meet you, Dia." Well, at least Riko seemed less crazy than Mari and Yoshiko. Dia smiled back at her and nodded.

"Likewise." Finally she was led around the drum kit, where the girl sitting there saluted at her.

"And I'm You! I drum for them so they don't have to use a drum machine."

"Isn't she a darling?" Mari giggled, then turned Dia around to face her. "And now, for the main event. The guitarist, lyricist, and creator of Guilty Kiss: me! Mari!" She stuck out her arms in dramatic fashion, making quiet, fake cheering sounds with her mouth. Behind them, Yohane rolled her eyes.

"And she says I'm the dramatic one..."

"So, are you ready to hear us play?" Mari was bouncing up and down with excitement, but there was still one concern Dia had.

"You don't happen to have any earplugs, do you? Not that I... don't want to hear you play, but it's very loud."

"Sure!" It was You who answered, reaching into the backpack at her feet and offering a pair of earplugs. "I always keep a spare in case I lose mine." Well that was convenient. Dia took the earplugs with a 'thank you', then let Mari lead her to a chair. She sat down and put in the earplugs, watching as Mari went back to pick up her guitar and sling it over her shoulders.

Mari was pretty attractive. Dia hadn't really noticed it before, or had pretended not to, but she was. Even the tattoos and piercings gave her a sort of 'rebel cool' look, something that Dia hadn't really seen before as being good looking. It just worked on Mari, though. She made these things look flawless, like she wasn't even trying. She could just stand there and rock out in a t-shirt and a skirt, which she was, and Dia would still think these things. Which she really needed to stop doing...

"Alright, count us off, You!"

"Aye aye! Three, two one!" She clacked her drumsticks together, then had them come down against the snare drum. Mari came in next with the guitar, and soon Dia was watching the entire band come together in a melding of metal music. It was somewhat different than the music Mari had shown her earlier: it had a kind of industrial sound to it. It was actually kind of good. Not really her style of music, but she didn't recoil from it instantly, so that was an improvement.

When they finished the song, Dia wasn't sure what to do. Was clapping appropriate? It was just a practice, after all, but they were certainly putting their all into it. She settled for saying something instead. "That was very nice. You all are quite skilled with your instruments."

"Aww, that's the most formal compliment I've ever gotten!" Mari laughed and looked back at the others. "Alright you three, let's play Strawberry Trapper now!" Dia didn't know how long they were going to practice, or how long she was supposed to stay before it was okay to get up and leave. It would certainly have to be between songs, since it'd be rude to leave without saying goodbye. There was a part of her that didn't want to leave, though. For some reason, she was fascinated with the music being played. Well, maybe not the music generally, but Mari specifically. Though she tried to just lean back and let the music flow over her, she found her eyes never leaving Mari for longer than a few seconds. It was as if Mari had cast some kind of spell on her, which made her unable to break away.

She ended up staying for the entire practice, time passing without her really realizing it. It was interesting the things she learned while just watching those four in their musical environment. For some reason, Yohane would always stare at the wall when she sang, though Dia supposed that was because she was pretending it was the audience. Dia was an audience, though. Why not look at her? She also noticed that Riko would keep sneaking glances at Yohane, which was surprising. Riko seemed to have a good head on her shoulders. Why would she be looking like that at someone as weird as Yohane? Then again, what was she doing looking at Mari? Maybe none of them had their heads on straight.

"Good practice, everyone!" Mari grabbed her guitar case and put her guitar in it while the others started to pack it up. It seemed that the piano, drums, and microphone were all owned by the school, since nobody was trying to lug them out of the room. "We're gonna do great at the concert next week!" You and Yohane pumped their fists at that, followed by Riko with a more tentative fist. "That's the spirit, Riko!"

Dia stood up and walked over to them, addressing her words to the group as a whole, though maybe to Mari a bit more than the rest. "Well, that was very well played, you four. I hope you do well at your concert. It's gotten rather late, though, so I should be heading back to my dorm."

"Okay. Thank you for watching us practice!" Once again she gave Dia a big hug, though this time Dia didn't try to worm out of it. She was still very warm, and she gave the kind of hugs Dia suspected were good for when one was being drowned in stress. She even gave Mari a stiff hug in return, which seemed to surprise Mari by the way her body tensed. Then it loosened up again and she gave Dia a big smile. "You're gonna come to our concert, right?"

"Well, I..." Going seemed more appealing than it had when she'd first stepped into the music room, but barely. She probably had school work to do anyway. "I guess I could make time for it." Dammit, what was she saying?

"Yay!" Mari hugged her again, happiness evident all over her face. "It's next Saturday at 20:00 in the student center! Don't be late! I may even be able to get you backstage." She winked at Dia, who blushed and grumbled about needing to go. Waving to the others, she left the music room with a very conflicted mind. She really didn't know Mari, and she could be a hassle and a half. She had no idea what personal space was or how to dress properly. Why did she agree to go to the concert, then? Why did she have this desire to go somewhere and just be with her for awhile?

Wait, did that mean she wanted to go on a date with Mari?!

* * *

"If you say anything, I swear I will end your existence."

"Come on, Dia. Why do you always do this?" Kanan rolled her eyes as she laid out on the couch, taking up all the room because Dia was too busy burning a hole in their carpet with her pacing. "You have some preconceived notion about something, and you let it color your perception even after it's proven otherwise. Why can't you just ask her out on a date? It's obvious you want to."

"Kanan, you've been on thin ice ever since you started dating my sister. Do you really want to risk running across it?" She really, really hated it when Kanan was right. Ever since they were kids, it'd always seemed like Dia was right about everything, and Kanan just went along for the ride. Now that Kanan was the one speaking reason, Dia really didn't like this switcheroo.

"You know why I'm dating your sister? Because I decided to go for it even though I knew you'd probably bury me under the fishing docks." She straightened and stood up, grabbing Dia's shoulders to stop her from pacing. "You're keeping yourself from potential relationships, Dia." Dia sighed and bit her lower lip, looking down at the floor.

"I know... I can't just ask her on a date, though! What am I supposed to say? I barely even know her. There's no good reason for me to ask her out or even be around her."

"You don't need a reason to ask someone out on a date. Just say that you think she's an interesting person, and you want to try and get to know her better. If it works, then great! If it doesn't, then there's no harm in at least trying." Kanan wasn't supposed to be making this much sense. It wasn't fair.

"What if I can't keep up with her? She's so... out there. So much energy. I'm not like that."

"You've kept up with me all this time. Remember when I ran away from home because I was gonna live with the dolphins? You were the one who stopped me from doing that."

"You did do a lot of dumb stuff as a kid."

"I-I don't think that's true..." Kanan blushed and looked away, getting a giggle out of Dia. Well, at least there was a silver lining there. "The point is, if anyone can keep up with crazy ideas, it's you. If you want to go out with her, then you should ask. Would it make you feel better if I went with you? I'd be by your side the entire time." Dia thought about it, then nodded meekly. Kanan smiled and pulled Dia into a hug. "It's gonna be fine, Dia. I promise."

"If you say so... I guess I won't end your existence yet, then."

"Ah yes, very comforting as always."

* * *

The concert was a pretty popular event. It nearly filled the student center as friends, metalheads, and curious listeners filed in to check out Guilty Kiss. Dia and Kanan had gotten there early so that Dia could stress about it for a bit, which allowed them to stand near the front. There was already a piano and two microphone stands on stage, though the only band member visible was You, who was setting up the drum kit. The others must've been waiting for the official starting time.

Soon enough, the other three got on stage, with Mari holding her guitar like it was her precious baby. Everybody filtered towards their positions, with Yohane grabbing the mic and taking it off of the stand. "Ah, what a hellacious night! Packed to the brim with my little demons! Of course, you're all here to support the fallen angel Yohane, aren't you?" A couple of people clapped, but most people just looked confused. Mari sidled over and leaned into the mic.

"In Japanese, she's asking if you all are ready to rock." That got a better reaction, as more people clapped and cheered. Yohane just pouted and yanked the mic away from Mari. You laughed behind them, and even Riko giggled softly. Before any potential arguing could occur, You stuck her drum sticks up high and clacked them together. Then she brought them down, and the music began.

She recognized the opening song. It was the second song they'd played at practice: Strawberry Trapper. Dia smiled slightly when she remembered watching them practice, hearing the crowd's cheering mixing in with the industrial sounds and Yohane's smooth voice.

 _I found you!  
Your eyes looked lonely  
Your heartbeat's calling out, saying "take me into your hands"  
Feeling so much heat but calm on the outside, I can enjoy that  
Hold down those growing feelings_

She glanced over to her right, only to find Kanan staring at her. "Eh? Kanan?" The music was loud enough that she might as well have just mouthed the words. Kanan tried to respond, but realized she wasn't getting anywhere, so she leaned in and spoke directly into Dia's ear.

"I think this song is supposed to be about you."

"Eh?! Why would it be about me?"

"You heard those lyrics, right? Lonely eyes, calm on the outside? Sounds just like you." Dia frowned and looked away from Kanan, back towards the stage. There was no way those lyrics were about her. Yes, Mari was the lyricist, but they'd never really interacted beyond random annoying encounters. It had been that way until the day she watched them practice, and they'd played the song then. There was no way. She did notice that Mari seemed to be staring directly at her as she sang, though...

 _Quietly, collecting information about you  
Certainly, there's value in a sensitive mind  
Stepping up in the background, the thrill is unbearable  
Because once I've chosen my target, you can't run away. You can't run away, my target!_

Kanan had to be mistaken, right? There was no way that Mari had been watching Dia since they'd first encountered each other. She would've noticed, considering how often she'd been watching Mari. ...That didn't sound as good as she hoped it would. Having Mari's stare on her, she felt her body heating up. Why didn't she start looking at the rest of the audience?

Stupid Kanan and her stupid theories. It made Dia analyse all the lyrics, which made her feel self-centered. There was no way Kanan was right. Those lyrics must've been written generically some time ago. Mari would've had no reason to write about her. They'd barely interacted!

 _To you, who loves quiet and solitude  
I'm firing an undeniable brilliant light  
I want to make you mine before you can realize_

She was going to kill Kanan after the concert for making her think these ridiculous thoughts. At least it was a nice concert, all strange thoughts aside. Most people seemed to enjoy it, and cheered loudly after each song. Dia found herself clapping as well, louder as each song came and went. The music wasn't so bad the longer she listened to it, and it was clear they all were very skilled at what they did. Her eyes kept wandering back to Mari, though...

When the concert was over, and all the cheering had finally died off, Dia and Kanan found themselves whisked backstage by Mari, who was clearly hyped up on adrenaline. Everybody seemed to be affected as well, though. Even Riko seemed excited, her fingers occasionally still moving like she was playing the piano.

"So? What'd you think? Did you like it? Huh?" Mari's eyes eagerly moved from Dia to Kanan, awaiting their opinions. Kanan glanced over at Dia, giving her the go-ahead to say something.

"I... I thought it was great. You all played really well." She smiled, hoping that it looked as genuine as it felt. "Thank you for inviting me."

"Of course! We were happy to have the inspiration herself attending our concert!" You's words confused Dia, who just stared at her with a blank expression. Mari turned to stare at You too, though Dia couldn't see what kind of expression she was making. Whatever it was, it made You shrink back with a guilty smile. "Ahaha, glad you could make it!"

"C'mon, let's take a walk, Dia. I want to burn off this energy." Smiling sweetly, Mari packed her guitar up and slung it across her back, grabbing Dia's hand and pulling her out of the student center. She looked back at Kanan with a panicked expression, but she just got a thumbs up in return. Okay, Kanan was back on thin ice again. "I'm really glad you made it, Dia. I really was hoping that you'd come."

"Well, I said I would, didn't I?" Dia was a bit flustered, not having expected to hear that. It made her feel warm again, though. "It was fun, though. You're really good with the guitar."

"Well, I've been playing it since I was seven." She beamed brightly, slinging an arm over Dia's shoulders, which Dia surprisingly didn't immediately shrug off. "I wanted to ask you something back when we'd finished practicing, but I figured tonight would be the better time to ask."

"Oh? Well, I... I wanted to ask you something as well." Now that the time to ask her do or die question was upon her, Dia was back to feeling nervous. She couldn't seem to fully fish out the necessary confidence from her well of positive emotions. This wasn't going to bode well.

"Why don't you ask first?" Mari stopped and grinned at her. "You seem like you're dying to ask me something."

"A-As if!" Dia crossed her arms and looked away, now no longer wanting to ask first. "Why don't you ask first, since you've been waiting for over a week?" Hypocrite that she was, since she had wanted to ask her own question for about that long. There was silence, which confused Dia. She turned back to look at a suddenly contemplative Mari. "Mari?"

"How's your love life? Hot or cold? You can tell me. I won't judge." Back to grinning, Mari put her arm around Dia's shoulder again and pulled the blushing girl closer.

"That's... That's private, don't you think?"

"I'm serious, Dia." The grin vanished once more, and she could see the seriousness in Mari's eyes. "Are you dating anyone?" Dia gulped, feeling put on the spot.

"For... For your information, I'm not dating anyone. That's all I'm telling you, though." That simple answer seemed to put the pep back in Mari's step, who grabbed one of Dia's hands and squeezed it.

"Then I want to ask you out!" There was such earnestness in her eyes, it made Dia freeze on the spot. "I know I must not be the kind of girl you hang around with that often, but I think you're really cool! It's been fun actually having you watch my band play, and I want to keep having you hang out with us. Me specifically, of course." Dia's eyes were wide the whole time, but then she squeezed Mari's hand back, smiling softly.

"I... I would like that, Mari. To be honest, I was going to ask you the same thing."

"Really?!" Mari gaped as Dia nodded, trying to hold eye contact but ending up just staring at the floor. Her excitement could practically be heard as she hugged Dia and lifted her in the air. "So exciting!"

"H-Hey, put me down! Mari!" She had to endure being held in the air for a few more seconds before Mari finally put her down, a silly grin on her face. Mari grabbed Dia's hand again, but there was definitely a different aura around it now. It was a nice aura, though.

"We should get back to the others. I wanna start planning our date!" Mari's excitement was contagious, and Dia felt herself feeding off that happiness as they started walking back to the student center hand in hand.

"I hope this doesn't sound self-centered, but the lyrics to Strawberry Trapper... Were they written about someone in particular?" When she looked at Mari while waiting for a response, she was surprised to find Mari blushing. Could Kanan have been right?

"They were written about someone who really fascinated me, but I never really got a chance to talk to them that much." She turned to Dia, smiling warmly. "But they kinda mean a lot to me." Dia smiled back, feeling that same warmth flooding her body. The kind of warmth she was starting to associate with Mari.

"Well, I'm sure they're very flattered." Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. It didn't matter what kind of lifestyle Mari led. She was a teaser, yes, but she was also friendly and full of energy. Plus she was a very warm hugger. Maybe Dia needed someone like that in her life. "Any girl would be happy to have a song written about them."

"Are you happy?" Dia caught the hope in Mari's eyes, and she found that as she held her hand, the truth came out easily.

"Yes. I'm very happy." They both kept holding each other's hands, sharing smiles the rest of the way back to the student center.


End file.
